Never Practical
by Linneam
Summary: James Potter was a certifiable nutcase. He was loud and annoying, and he had a talent for pushing every button she possessed. Nothing about the boy was practical. But he was hers, practical or not. J/L. Marauders' Era Hogwarts. One-Shot.


**Just another one-shot, I guess... I don't have the will-power to start a new series, and I don't have any ideas... Hoping you'll enjoy the more-or-less fluffy drabbles from a mind in the mood to write. :) Review at the end, por favor.**

**

* * *

**

Hot water streamed down Lily Evans' bare back, and the red-head could feel her muscles loosening beneath its steamy onslaught. With much effort, she bit back a sigh. After a long day of classes, this shower was exactly what she needed.

Unfortunately, the peace that usually accompanied her nightly relaxation was broken by a loud call from outside the girls' dormitory. "Lily! Lily! Lils! I need to talk to you!"

The Head Girl tried to keep a straight face, but she couldn't stop the persistent grin that forced her lips to turn upward. James Potter was a certifiable nutcase. He was loud and annoying, and he had a talent for pushing every button she possessed. But he belonged to her.

It had taken more than six years for her to give James a chance, but it only took her a month to love him, two to know that she wanted to spend the rest of her life loving him. Lily knew that she was too young to feel what she felt; she knew that it was impractical, unrealistic, and unlikely to succeed. But the day she'd said yes to James Potter was the day practicality released its hold on her life.

Nothing about James was practical. Hair should not be that uncontrollable; lips should not be that kissable; and nobody should make her feel the way he did. His influence on her life made them both walking impracticalities.

But he could not force her to cut short her nightly release; this shower was her time. So at a leisurely pace, Lily began working shampoo through her hair, lathering it up into a bubbly white up-do. But just as she went to rinse out the frothy mess, the stream of water halted.

"Lily Jane Evans."

Her best friend's words were curt and angry, and Lily suspected James' continued shouting had struck a nerve.

"Er... Hey Alice. What's up?"

Lily could picture the fury on the brunette's round face, and she knew that Alice's brown eyes were probably dancing with anger. But it was still Lily's shower time.

"You know right well what's up. He's your bloody boyfriend. Fix it."

"Just let me finish my shower, Ali," Lily replied calmly, staring at the unyielding silver faucet. "Then I'll shut him up."

A growl sounded from outside the shower stall, and for the briefest of seconds, Lily was certain her best friend had been replaced by either a rabid dog or Sirius Black. Maybe both. "Lily, I will not turn this water back on until that awful mess you call a boyfriend shuts his bloody mouth! I was up all last night studying for an Arithmancy exam, and I. Want. To. Sleep. So shut him up!"

"Can I at least rinse the-"

"No."

"But-"

"No. Get out, now."

Lily wrapped her towel carefully around her body and exited the stall, her hair still covered in strawberry-scented bubbles. Alice did grant her the privilege of a robe before shoving her rudely onto the girls' landing in the common room.

The sight that awaited her was enough to make anyone laugh. Her boyfriend, clad in a set of deep green dress robes, was sprinting up the slippery silver slide that usually existed as a staircase, a mixture of exhaustion and excitement etched in his countenance. The excitement only grew as he saw her appear at the top of the stairs, and he seemed to run faster at her approach.

"James, calm down. What's going on?"

Behind James' head, a ragged, sandy-haired boy gave his wand a swish and flick, and suddenly, James' feet weren't slipping and sliding anymore. Her boyfriend was floating.

At first, the Head Boy seemed confused, but luckily, he caught on quickly. "Thanks, Moony. Levitate me up there, would you?"

Slowly, James' floating figure approached her, and his smile all but took her breath away. His glasses were half-crooked, and his scruffy black hair stuck up more than usual, though he didn't bother to notice. She could see her own bright green eyes in his glasses, and behind that, she could see his hazel ones dancing with joy and unabashedly running up and down her robed figure. Lily flushed crimson.

Being only inches apart, she could smell him- a hint of peppermint mixed with the stronger aroma of fresh air and broomstick polish- and she could feel the warmth radiating from his only slightly sweaty body. Suddenly and without consent, he pulled her into his arms, and then by Sirius' wand work, she was floating too.

"James, what are you doing?" Lily whispered, both embarrassed and dazed by his nearness. They were touching now, her wet, soapy head resting against his shoulder in what felt like a gravity-defying, music-less slow dance. She could feel his heart beating beneath her, almost in rhythm with the racing of hers.

Loosening one of his hands from its grip around her waist, he caressed her the side of her face, tracing invisible circles on her cheek. "I've been thinking, Lils."

"And nothing caught fire?" she teased quietly, ensnaring his hand in hers. "I'm impressed."

The rumble in his chest told her he'd laughed, but he almost immediately fell silent. "Lily, I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Lily smiled and intertwined her fingers with his. "I know that, James. You've told me nearly every day since fifth year. I want to spend my life with you, too; I've told you that. What's this all about?"

"I figured it was time for me to do something about it."

In one smooth motion- one that Lily could never mimic-, James released his hold on her, fished a small black box out of his pocket, and dropped to one knee, all the while staying balanced in the air. "Lily Jane Evans, you know I love you. I've loved you since I met you, and I will love you until death do us part. I know I annoy you, push your buttons, and can be a right brat some days, and I know giving me a chance almost killed you. But you did it, and as far as I know, it worked. Now, even back then, I swore that I'd marry you one day, but I know that I can't force that like I always thought I could. I can only ask. So here I am; it's me asking. Lily, will you marry me?"

A gasp caught in her throat, and a thousand questions floated through her mind. Why now? How would it all work? What did the future hold? Being engaged in school, getting married so young... Everything about this was impractical. But together, Lily and James had never been known for their practicality.

"Absolutely yes," the red-head whispered, her eyes shining with unshed tears. Every unspoken question, every unanswered thought... They had years to be answered, and she did not want to spoil this moment. This was _their_ moment, the one that guaranteed the years, the lifetime, they would spend together. Practicality could wait.

Lily hardly understood what happened next. Suddenly, a ring was on her finger, James' mouth was attached to her own, and they were sharing what she could only describe as her favorite of their kisses. His hands worked their way into her sticky, untamable red mane, and hers found their way to the back of his head, allowing her to pull him closer.

Behind them, a series of loud and bright fireworks exploded, forming a heart with "L + J" in the center, and beneath them, cheers erupted from a crowd she hadn't realized had formed. As they pulled apart, three very distinct wolf-whistles verified the remaining Marauders' approval.

"Thank you, Lily," her husband-to-be whispered, his grin stretching from ear to ear. He kissed her again, much shorter this time, and gently, she was placed back on the girls' landing.

Before she could reply, however, his hand was rubbing all over her face, giving her a taste of the strawberry shampoo he'd gathered while his hands ran through her hair. She giggled and pushed him away.

"Yeah, thanks James." Her voice was sarcastic, but her eyes told how grateful she truly was. "I just love the taste of that soap. Maybe I ought to marry it instead."

He snorted. "I see how it is. I love you more than Quidditch and Remus' hidden chocolate stash combined, but you'll trade me in for a lousy bottle of shampoo. Some fiance you turned out to be."

"Uh-huh. Insult the woman who just made you the happiest man alive," she teased. "But, I think I like you better anyway. Just let me go break the news to that 'lousy bottle of shampoo,' ok?"

Their laughter rang through the common room, and with a quick blown kiss and a shout of, "I love you," the red-head slipped back into her dormitory to finally finish her shower time. She was going to marry James Potter, and practicality had no say in the matter.


End file.
